What is your plan for when you die? A group of pastors discussed this in a recent meeting. One pastor said he would be buried, another said he would be cremated, and a third pastor said he would donate his body to science. I listened closely to their thoughts. Those seem to be the options available. What am I missing?
When Sarah died, Abraham had a burial plan. He just needed a burial place. As a stranger in the land, he did not own a centimeter of the land. His herds and servants went where the grass and water led them. But they didn’t own any land. They dug wells. Sometimes, others confiscated their wells. Abraham went to the local authorities and asked if he might buy some property to bury his wife. Given his status as a wealthy leader, they suggested he just use any tomb he chose. But Abraham bowed before the Hittites and asked if they would intercede so that he might purchase the cave of Machpelah from Ephron son of Zohar.
In the ancient world people were buried in tombs. Before they built tombs, they used existing caves and crafted ways to close the caves. Remember the angel rolled the stone away from Jesus’ tomb. All over Israel, archaeologists have unearthed ancient tombs where people buried their dead.
In the ancient Judeo-Christian tradition, bodies were not burned. Cremation, which came from the far East, has gained traction in our country in recent days. My pastor friends contend there is no right or wrong on this matter. I will be buried some day because I like Paul’s emphasis on the burial and resurrection of the body in 1 Corinthians 15. I do not prescribe this for others. The price of cremation and burial concern me, though. Grieving families are faced with expensive choices.
When I went back to Power’s Chapel, the cemetery near my first pastorate, I asked Joe Marek how much burial plots cost. He said, “They are getting high.” “How high?” I asked. “2,” Joe sighed. “2 what? 2,000?” I asked. “No. 200,” he responded with surprise. “Hey Melanie,” I said when I got home from Rosebud. “I have found our place.” We will see.
Regardless of whether and where we are buried we have a great plan for when we die. Absent from the body we will enter the presence of the Lord. Our bodies will wait here for the resurrection when we receive our new bodies. The New Jerusalem will descend back to a new earth. Then we will live here forever with the Lord. If this is not your plan, I would love to talk to you about your plan for when you die. It will not cost you a thing.
